Adoption, the institution that gives and takes for generations to come.
I think many people forget or have never thought about how adoption affects the next generation. Whether it is just wondering where you came from or if it is having to survive being parented by someone who is suffering under the burden of unresolved/unrecognized trauma its affects carry over. Katydid talks about finding her mother’s original family:
I know it is not the same as being the adoptee herself but I always felt out of place, like I didn't belong to anyone and would be completely alone in the world when my parents were gone. I feel the the ripple effects of adoption are tremendous and not much thought is given to the second generation who misses out on grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins... The loss may be different but the wound is deep.
The Anywhere but Here Girl...: On Adoption and Belonging...
